The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-03-31
A TRAGEDY IN A COURT ROOM.

A TRAGEDY IN A COURT ROOM.
Messrs. Geo. JohnBtone and John B.
Jones, Open Fire on Each Other During
| Trial In Court.
A difficulty between Messrs. Geo.
Johnstone, and John B. Jones, of New.
berry, eliminated on last Saturday in an
encounter, which will probably prove
fatal to Mr.. Jones. The details of the
difficulty which have been made public
are mesgre, and somewhat conflicting,
and We give both sides as far as they
have been published. The Registers
dispatch from Newberry on the 26th
inst, says:
When the Reeves. Corwin case was
called in Trial Justice Blease's Office this
morning, it was expected that there
would be trouble before the case would
end, because of the personal feeling
exhibited between Colonel George John.
stone and Colonel John B. Jones. While
Colonel Jones was addressing the Justice
on some point in the case, the counsel
became engaged in passage of words,
during which Johnstone denounced
Jones as an "infamous puppy" where.
upon firing began, which continued till
the contents of each pistol was dis
charged.
| Johnstone and Jones were within few
feet of each other during the firing, and
| it is somewhat remarkable that both were
| not killed. Colonel Jones, however,
received wound between the eighth and
ninth ribs, the bullet passing directly
downward and onward through the
stomach and diaphragm and lodging
beneath the floating ribs on the right
side. At the present writing the wound
is considered mortal, it being the opinion
of the physicians that he will not live
longer than twenty.four hours. Colonel
Johnstone received one shot throug h the
lobe of his ear, glancing shot in his
right groin, bullet also passing
| through the coat sleeve of his left arm.
Neither of his wounds are considered
serious.
George B. Cromer, Johnstone's partner
and the Mayor of the city, in attempting
to preserve the peace narrowly escaped
with his life, two bullets passing through
his clothes.
This sad event has enshrouded the
whole city in gloom.
A dispatch to the Greenville Netos
from Newberry, dated the 26th, says:
A shooting scrape occurred here to.
day, between lawyers George Johnstone
and John B. Jones, during trial justice
case in which they were on opposite
sides. There had been bad feeling
between the two for q week past and
both went to the court armed. During
the progress of the case Mr.. Jones made
some remark offensive to Mr.. tombstone
to which Mr.. Johnstone responded with
another offensive epithet. Mr.. Jones
jerked out his pistol and fired once,
probably twice, before MI. Johnstone
got his pistol out. They both then fred
until they had emptied their pistols.
The parties were standing in four feet of
each other and there were twenty-five or
thirty persons in the room. Mr.. John.
stone was struck in three places. One
ball passed through the lobe of an ear,
another grazed one arm, and the third
his groin. His wounds are very slight.
Mr.. Jones was struck in the left side just
below his heart, the ball passing almost
through his body, stopping just under the
skin. The wound is thought to be NOR.
tai. Mr.. Jones is about twenty-five
years old, and is the youngest son of
Major Lambert j. Jones. The unfortu-
nate affair is deeply regretted here, as
both gentlemen stand high in the com.
munity, and are representatives of two of
Newberry's Oldest and most honored
families.
Both the parties are we'll known in
Greenville. MIR. Johnstone was strong
candidate for Congress in his district,
against Judge Cothran, at the last demo.
cratic primary. He was in the State
legislature for several years and took 8
prominent position there as chairman of
the committee of ways and means, and
an able speaker. His reputation as a
lawyer and politician extends beyond
the limits of the State, and be is known
and trusted everywhere in this section.
Mr.. Jones is q first cousin of Senator
Mauldin, of Greenyille county, and a
second cousin of James Lipscomb, of
Lipscomb & Russell this city. News of
the shooting came on tie up train of the
Columbia & Greenville railroad, spread
rapidly and caused the most intense
interest, little else being talked of during
the afternoon and the evening.
The difficulty is said to have occurred
in Justice Blease's Office a little before
one o'clock. Passengers on the train say
the case on trial was between tobacco
makers in North Carolina and persons
who had been vending their goods in
Newberry. Several days ago Mr.. John.
stone, who represented the manufacture.
ers, sent Mr.. Jones, who was on the other
side, note at which the latter took
ofense. He sent an answer telling Mr..
Johnstone, in effect, to mind his own
business and to abstain from interference
in the affairs of others. From this Cor.
respondence both men evidently expected
difficulty and prepared themselves.
The immediate provocation for the
shooting is said to have been the calling
of Mr.. Jones ian insolent puppy" by Mr..
JOuuSLOuo.
1t is reported here, on good authority,
that Geo. B. Cromer was slightly wound.
ed in one arm while trying to separate
the combatants, and that when the shot
that struck Mr.. Johnstone in the ear was
fired the muzzle of his opponents pistol
was at his forehead, worse wound being
avoided by sudden movement of the
head.
A dispatch to the Augusta Chronicle,
dated Newberry 2Sth, says:
After the shooting Mr.. Jones was
carried into the law Office Of his brother.
in.law, Geo. 8. Mower, Esq, and has
been made entirely comfortable there.
Yesterday at o'clock the ball was cut
from his right side, about IN inch under
the skin. With the assistance of cocaine
the operation was rendered painless.
The orifce thus made permitted the
escape of quantity of coagulated blood,
which, it is hoped, will benefit him.
Everything possible is done to relieve
him, and he has the sympathy Of the
entire community; but still the perfora.
ton of the diaphragm, bowels and liver
leaves very little chance of his recovery.
There were eight shots fred bv the two